STI Youth: unifying young people through sail training worldwide

Young people are at the heart of Sail Training International’s purpose and activities. STI Youth was launched in March 2009 and continues strongly to this day.

The objectives of STI Youth are:

To represent a youth voice in decision making within the Sail Training International community.

To inspire, support and promote the involvement of young people in all aspects of sail training.

To provide opportunities for the development of the next generation of sail training leaders.

To support sail training communities in enabling young people to become active contributors.

To promote individual growth through international friendships and multicultural understanding.

To create a positive environment for the exchange of ideas and innovations.

To support and assist Sail Training International to achieve its goals.

The Youth Council comprises of representatives from nearly every one of Sail Training International’s 26 member national sail training organisations (NSTOs), and it is hoped that all 26 members will have a representative in the future.

The STI Youth Council meets as a whole once a year in November at the International Sail Training and Tall Ships Conference, where they review the previous year and plan for the next. In addition, the Executive Committee (Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary) meets during the International Council meeting in April of each year.

Their goals are:

To create a promotional toolkit to encourage sail training everywhere.

Supporting the development and growth of youth/trainee alumni groups in national sail training organisations, thereby expanding and improving the network of contact between youth who have been or may become engaged in sail training.

To serve in an advisory capacity to Sail Training International as it develops its social networking and web based connections with youth and creating and implementing a communications strategy for STIY.

To advise in the creation of a template for abuse prevention policies amongst sail trainers world wide.

To prepare and deliver youth oriented workshops.
To hold a youth social event.

Spearheading the reintroduction of inter-ship exchanges during the Cruise in Company leg of the International Tall Ships Races.

To further the presence of STI Youth at port-events during the International Tall Ships Races.